Jours Pâles – Dissolution (Review)

This is the third album from French black metal act Jours Pâles.

Jours Pâles’ debut album Éclosion was a surprise hit of 2021 for me, and while 2022 follow up Tensions was a worthy successor, it was released too late in the year to impact upon list season. So, now we have 46 minutes of new material to work through on Dissolution, how have Jours Pâles fared this time around?

Well, first off, I do not care for the album art. Of course, it’s the music that counts though, and once again I find myself falling for Jours Pâles’ charismatic charms.

On Dissolution Jours Pâles continue down their path of individuality that they have been forging through the metallic underworld since their debut. The ingredients are familiar by now – black metal of the atmospheric, depressive, and post- varieties, blackgaze/shoegaze, post-punk, melodic and Gothic metal, heavy metal – but Jours Pâles blend them together in ways that make their sound striking and atypical. Dissolution continues the band’s previous direction, only refines it further. Darker, more melancholic and atmospheric, yet also more immediate and filled with engaging riffs. It’s a very compelling combination, let me tell you.

Oh my, this is very good. The songs weave their threads tightly around an emotive core, then spin off from this in melodic splendour and mood-based depth. The music is finely detailed, offering a colourful tapestry of great texture and depth for the listener to explore. Meticulously crafted, and boasting more personality and character than most bands achieve in a lifetime, the Jours Pâles experience is an exquisite one.

Clearly not for everyone, but essential listening for lovers of bands that make their own route.